Do You Bench Like Dave Tate?

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:

[quote]mr popular wrote:

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
Why is this in the bodybuilding forum?[/quote]

I don’t understand why a lot of people looking to get into bodybuilding take all their cues from powerlifting where the objective is completely different.

I don’t know of ANY bodybuilders that actually bench press that way. I certainly don’t. When I am bench pressing, I’m doing it to build my pecs, not to leverage as much weight as I possibly can.[/quote]

I agree in part, but at the same time, bench pressing in a way to build your pecs can be a bit precarious for one’s shoulders, etc. I think learning proper technique from powerlifters can help greatly to find a balance between the PL style and BB style. I know it’s helped me, at least in principle, and in minor things like focusing on a tighter set up, etc.[/quote]

Obviously if something is useful, you should use it.

I have a real interest in protecting my shoulders, so some of my technique comes from a standard powerlifting setup as far as keeping my back tight, chest out, and feet planted. However, I have no interest in sacrificing pec stimulation just for the sake of lifting more poundage or having “internet-correct” form.

I used to bench very similar to the way Dave Tate did in this video, and I ended up using more weight than my muscles were prepared to control, and I separated my shoulder because of it. The best thing I ever did for my injured shoulder was stop and inch or two above my chest and start benching more “like a bodybuilder”.

In response to the other poster, I don’t think anyone is treating this issue as “black and white”; I am definitely not. In fact my whole point is that I see a problem when people looking to bodybuild end up benching like a shirted powerlifter because that is touted as the ultimate, “correct”, way to do it.

My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.

Thib once adressed a question about building upper pecs with fancy exercices by replying that he doesn’t know anyone who flat benches 400+ that have a lagging upper chest.

This video by Diesel crew is also worth watching:

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.

Thib once adressed a question about building upper pecs with fancy exercices by replying that he doesn’t know anyone who flat benches 400+ that have a lagging upper chest.

This video by Diesel crew is also worth watching:

[/quote]

I instantly thought of the Office when I saw that Cornell shirt.

And Thibs is right because, flat bench still uses upper chest.
Your better off doing some floor presses on top of that, for better upper chest stimulation

Bonez, I was going to say pretty what SSC and Mr Popular said, but I’ve been away from my computer for a few hours. Maybe the OP has shoulder discomfort with his elbows flared and is trying out PL form, but can’t find his groove. That’s all, it could go in either forum really, but he was asking about form and not how to add more pounds to the bar.

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.[/quote]

As a PLer who’s benched 315 for a few reps before, I disagree with this.

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.[/quote]

As a PLer who’s benched 315 for a few reps before, I disagree with this.[/quote]

315 raw?

For how many reps?

I guess “good enough” chest development is relative, but all I know is that I can put 315 up for almost 10 reps (tight set up, shoulder blades back, elbows coming down about 45 degrees, etc etc) and my chest is no where near where I’d have thought it would be at this strength level.

Sigh. One more plate.

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.

[/quote]

I bench over 315 and I think my chest sucks.

Taking powerlifting tips for my bench press is the best thing I ever did for shoulder health. Certain people can bench their whole life BB style without issues. The ones not built for it will fuck up their shoulders in less than a few years. I fall into the latter category. Tucking my elbows, arching my back, staying tight and bringing the bar down lower on my chest helped alot.

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.[/quote]

As a PLer who’s benched 315 for a few reps before, I disagree with this.[/quote]

315 raw?

For how many reps?[/quote]

I’ve done it for three reps. Pretty sure I could’ve done 4.

PL benching is about moving weight, not hypertrophy. I wouldn’t consider my chest a strong part (physique-wise) of my body whatsoever.

Benching is about keeping your butt and upper back against the bench, back arched and jaw pressed against your chest. You feel like a box when you bench and can feel the pressure pushed against the bar. Hands are always shoulder wight when training chest.

[quote]juanke wrote:
and jaw pressed against your chest.[/quote]

Just imagined that technique, wouldn’t that stress the neck a ton by having it off the bench during a press?

And to contribute to the thread, I can’t really press like Tate. Although I implemented some of the arm techniques to my press to help my shoulders, I can only do decline as my right front delt is pretty fucked up (a weird insertion point IMO) and must be trained carefully, and decline seems to take out most front delt activation.

Plus it’s pretty much impossible to get a leg drive off the decline bench at my gym, since your legs don’t contact the floor. sighs

You might want to try the happy medium between a full powerlifting tuck and conventional bodybuilding technique (which is just going to beat up you shoulders in the long run). Check it out in Tony Gentilcore’s video in this article

Keep the wrists straight and/or get some wrist wraps

I think if you simplify everything and do not over think it, you will be fine once you find the proper “elbow slot”. During every rep I think “Pull, Push-Drive” to pull the bar down with my back, then drive the bar off my chest fast while pushing my heels into the ground. Once you can keep the bar in the groove, this technique will simply feel “right”

[quote]silverhydra wrote:

[quote]juanke wrote:
and jaw pressed against your chest.[/quote]

Just imagined that technique, wouldn’t that stress the neck a ton by having it off the bench during a press?
[/quote]

Not any more than it would when you’re doing sit ups.

But I kinda sorta possibly disagree with the above statement. When bringing the weight down, I lift my head off the bench to watch where I touch the weight (shirted and raw), but once I touch and begin my press, my head goes back down to the bench and my neck is pressing the back of my skull down as hard as I can.

[quote]silverhydra wrote:

[quote]juanke wrote:
and jaw pressed against your chest.[/quote]

Just imagined that technique, wouldn’t that stress the neck a ton by having it off the bench during a press?

And to contribute to the thread, I can’t really press like Tate. Although I implemented some of the arm techniques to my press to help my shoulders, I can only do decline as my right front delt is pretty fucked up (a weird insertion point IMO) and must be trained carefully, and decline seems to take out most front delt activation.

Plus it’s pretty much impossible to get a leg drive off the decline bench at my gym, since your legs don’t contact the floor. sighs[/quote]
I feel like i can push the bar better.

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:

[quote]CPerfringens wrote:
My opinion is that I’ll have good enough pecs when I bench 315, even if I do it powerlifting style.[/quote]

As a PLer who’s benched 315 for a few reps before, I disagree with this.[/quote]

315 raw?

For how many reps?[/quote]

I’ve done it for three reps. Pretty sure I could’ve done 4.

PL benching is about moving weight, not hypertrophy. I wouldn’t consider my chest a strong part (physique-wise) of my body whatsoever. [/quote]

Agreed, i’ve done 308 for 6 reps, and 315 for 5 and my pecs are not what anyone would consider aesthetically pleasing physique wise. Its about getting the weight up and using any and all technique tweaks and muscle groups possible to do so, not with muscle growth as a primary goal